Ceiling access opening and bracket therefor



J. M. RALLIS 3,363,384

CEILING ACCESS OPENING AND BRACKET THEREFOR Jan. 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8, 1965 INVENTOR. him/5 @(1/5 J. M. RALLlS 3,363,384

CEILING ACCESS OPENING AND BRACKET THEREFOR Jan. 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept.

s m wt INVENTOR. Jwvzs 6411/5 BY mm United States Patent 3,363,384 CEILING ACCESS OPENING AND BRACKET THEREFOR James M. Rallis, 412 16th St, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 366,453, May 11, 1964. This application Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,784

3 Claims. (Cl. 52-489) This is a continuation in-part of application Ser. No. 366,452, filed May 11, 1964, now Patent 3,276,179.

This invention relates to an auxiliary or suspended ceiling construction. More particularly, this invention relates to such a ceiling having provision for an access opening therein, said opening being provided with a removable closure.

Ceilings of the type to which the present invention relates are formed of a plurality of tiles which are mounted in juxtaposed or abutting relation. Such a ceiling is illustrated and described in my prior application, Ser. No. 269,098, filed Mar. 29, 1963, now Patent 3,225,503. In said application, there is illustrated and described such a ceiling construction in which there is provided an access opening in the ceiling. The access opening construction required the utilization of a bracket means which was retained within the channel defined by a Z-member or bar. Due to the fact that different types or dimensions of Z-bars could be used with various different ceiling constructions, there arose the necessity for providing for each type of Z-bar, a companion bracket or holder which would fit precisely within the associated Z-bar. As a result, it became necessary to maintain a relatively large stock of brackets or holders for the various different sizes or types of Z-bars.

In my aforementioned copending application, there are described and claimed improved constructions for access oanels of the type described, and closures therefor, which overcome the above disadvantage, requiring only a single type of bracket or holder, of a form such that it can be used with Z-bars of various types and dimensions. There exist in common use, however, other types of suspended ceilings, wherein the flanged Z-bar is not used. One such type of ceiling is applied by nailing or cementing the individual tiles to spaced wooden furring strips or the like, previously installed at the proper level to serve as the substratum to which the tiles are applied to form the new ceiling. In such a construction, the conventional Z-bar is not employed, and the clamp arrangement described and claimed in my aforesaid copending application does not readily lend itself to use in connection with such a ceiling construction.

In another common type of construction, use is made of a clip-strip which is nailed to the wooden ceiling beams of the pre-existing construction, or to furring strips affixed to such beams. The clip-strip is of generally S- shaped construction, and performs a function similar to that of the Z-bar, having a vertical section provided with a horizontal flange extending laterally in one direction away from the top of the vertical section, and a second horizontal flange extending laterally in the opposite direction away from the bottom of the vertical section. The upper horizontal flange of the clip-strip is perforated to provide for nailing to a beam or furriug strip, while the lower flange provides support for a tile by being inserted in a kerf in the edge of the tile. The clip strip differs from the conventional Z-bar, in that the vertical section is very short compared to the vertical section of the usual Z-bar, and also in that there is only a single flange on the bottom, extending in the opposite direction from the top flange, whereas the conventional Z-bar is provided with a pair of flanges at the lower extremity of its 3,363,384 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 vertical section, one of the pair cooperating with the upper flange to form a channel. In the clip-strip, there being only one flange on the bottom, and that extending in the opposite direction from the top flange, no such channel is defined. This type of construction also fails to lend itself readily to the use of the type of access panel construction described in my aforesaid copending application, largely because of the absence of a conventional Z-bar with which the apparatus of said copending application is designed to cooperate.

In a modified embodiment of the invention disclosed in my aforesaid copending application, the closure construction is used at a location where there is no Z-bar, but rather a spline joining two abutting kerfed edges of adjacent tiles. One of the advantages of the invention in that application is that the same closure assembly can be used in such an environment, as well as in one which involves the presence of a Z-bar. In that embodiment of the invention there disclosed, however, the apparatus is more or less dependent for its effectiveness on the presence of the spline, in lieu of the Z-bar.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved construction for access openings in tiled sus pended ceilings or the like.

Another object is to provide improved closure constructions for access panels.

Still another object is to provide a closure construction for access panels, which does not depend for its effectiveness on the presence of a Z-bar, nor on the alternative presence of a spline.

A further object is to provide an improved closure for access panels of the type described, which is suitable for use in conjunction with tiles which are cemented or otherwise fastened to furring strips.

Yet another object is to provide an improved closure assembly for access panels, which is suitable for use in conjunction with tiles which are supported in whole or in part by clip-strips as above described.

Another object still is to provide an improved form of tile suitable for use as an access panel to close an access opening in a tiled suspended ceiling.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following more complete description and claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In one particularly desirable embodiment, this invention contemplates a closure member comprising in combination a bolt-holding member comprising a bolt-holding tongue, a channel member integrally connected to said ton ue, said channel member being generally rectangular in cross-section, of substantial depth and of a width to receive an edge of a standard furring strip and frictionally engage the sides thereof, said bolt-holding tongue being perforated to provide an aperture, a threaded bolt slidably receivable in said aperture, said bolt having a length exceeding the combined width of said channel and thickness of a ceiling tile, and a cap nut threaded to mate with the threads of said threaded bolt.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an oblique view from above partly in section of a portion of a suspended ceiling embodying an access panel and closure therefor according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an oblique view from below of the closure assembly used in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an oblique view from above, partly in section, similar to FIGURE 1, but showing an access panel and closure assembly therefor according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded oblique view of the closure assembly used in the embodiment of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an oblique view of the modified tile according to the invention, used as an access panel in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES '1-4.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus according to the invention comprises a bracket or holder having as its uppermost element a horizontal tongue 12 which is perforated as at 14 to accommodate a bolt 16. Bolt 16 is preferably held in place in the perforation by a nut, lock-nut, or nut and lockwasher, indicated generally by nut 17. At the end opposite the perforation, tongue 12 is doubled back upon itself to form a double-thickness flange 18, and the lower thickness of flange 18 is bent downwardly to form a vertical web 20. At its lower end, vertical web 20 is bent outwardly in a direction generally parallel with flange 18 to form lower flange 22. Thus it will be seen that flange 22, vertical web 20 and flange 18 cooperate to define a channel.

The dimensions of the channel thus formed are so selected that the height of vertical web 20 corresponds approximately to the thickness of a standard furring strip 24, and the horizontal extent of flanges 18 and 22 is substantial, all to the end that the channel so defined is adapted to receive an edge 26 of furring strip 24 and frictionally engage the sides 28 thereof. In this way, bracket 10 is fixed more or less rigidly in place, in a fixed position relative to furring strip 24 and consequently to the tiles mounted thereon. It will also be noted that bolt-holding tongue 12 is thus held above the bottom of the furring strip, and hence above the top surface of the tiles mounted thereon, by a distance approximating the thickness of the furring strip.

Bolt 16 passes through aperture 14 in bolt-holding tongue 12, and is suspended therefrom by its head 30, which has a diameter exceeding the diameter of the aperture. Bolt 16 extends downwardly from tongue 12 by a distance at least equal to the height of vertical web 20, and therebeyond an additional distance at least equal to the thickness of a tile 32, thus permitting it to pass completely through tile 32 through an aperture 34 provided therein for the purpose, and a still further additional distance sufficient to allow engagement of the threads of bolt 16 with the internal threads of cap nut 36. Cap nut 36 is of sufliciently large external diameter to prevent its passing into aperture 34. Preferably, this is accomplished by providing cap nut 36 with an integral flange 38, permitting the remainder of cap nut 36 to be of relatively small diameter and hence less conspicuous.

According to the present invention, the access panel is removed from the access opening downwardlyi.e. by dropping it down into the room space, rather than by pushing it upwardly into the space between the suspended ceiling and the original, structural ceiling of the building. To this end, it is necessary that both sides of the access panel, and the end thereof nearer the bracket 10, be devoid of projections which overlie fixed structural members, such for example as horizontal projections from the abutting edges of adjacent fixed tiles. The end of the access panel which is farthest from bracket 10 may be supported by another bracket 10, of similar construction, or preferably, it may be supported by a projecting edge 40, which overlies a projecting edge 42 on an adjacent fixed panel, thus forming a simple hinge-like structure. Instead of providing a projecting edge 40 on the access panel, there may be provided a construction in which the abutting edges of access panel 32 and the adjacent fixed panel 44 are both kerfed, and are united by a spline extending into both kerfs, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, or in any of various other well-known ways.

In the operation of the apparatus according to FIG- URES 1 and 2, the ceiling is assembled in the usual way, except for the access panel, making sure that there is a supporting member such as projecting edge 42 in position to support the edge of the access panel directly opposite bracket 10 and associated parts. The channel portion of bracket 10 is then slipped over an edge of furring strip 24, where it is held by frictional engagement between flanges 18 and 22 of the bracket, on the one hand, and

panel (or equivalent operations performed, depending on the particular construction of the tiles being used), and panel (tile) 32 is rotated upwardly about the axis formed by projecting edges 46 and 42, until bolt 16 drops through aperture 34 and projects out through the bottom of the panel. The internal threads of cap-nut 36 are then en= gaged with the projecting threaded portion of bolt 16 and turned down, drawing tile 32 up into flush, abutting rela tion with adjacent fixed tile 46. When it is desired to gain access to the space between thesuspended ceiling and the fixed ceiling above it, it is only necessary to back off cap nut 36 until it is free of bolt 16, and drop panel 32 down out of the way, later replacing it in position in the manner just described.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate amodified embodiment of the invention, used where the tiles are supported from the overhead beams or other structural members by the use of a clip-strip 48. The normal position and function of the clip-strip 48 is illustrated at the right-hand side of FIGURE 3, wherein clip-strip 48 is nailed or screwed, as indicated at 50, to an overhead beam or the like 52 The lower horizontal flange 54 of the clip strip supports a projecting lip 56 of an adjacent tile on one side, which in turn, through projecting lips 42 and 40a, supports the adjacent edge of a tile on the other side (i.e. on the right, as seen in FIGURE 3).

In that part of the ceiling associated with the forward edge of the access panel'(i.e. the edge thereof'nearest bracket 10), the arrangement of parts is as illustrated in the left-hand portion of FIGURE 3. An adapter 58 is provided, in the form of a generally S-shaped member of sheet metal or the like. Adapter 58 comprises an upper generally horizontal portion 60, connected by a first bend 62 to an intermediate horizontal portion 64, which in turn is connected by a second bend 68 to a lower horizontal portion 70. Horizontal portions 64 and 70 cooperate to define a constricted channel adapted to re: ceive and frictionally hold lower flange 54 of the clip= strip, while horizontal portions 60 and 64 cooperate to define a constricted channel adapted to similarly receive and hold lower flange 22 of bracket 10. In this way, bracket 10 is held in a fixed position relative tothe forward edge of access panel 32, as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. The mode of operation of this embodiment of the invention, in all other respects, is precisely similar to that of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 5 illustrates oneform of tile according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tile illustrated in FIGURE 5 is similar to a conventional commercial tile of the interlocking type, but modified therefrom by the omission of certain overhanging projections normally provided at the edges thereof. Thus, the conventional tile is provided with a lower, generally square surface 42 constituting the tile face. Superposed over the tile face is the body of the tile material which is kerfed and rabbeted as indicated, partly in dotted outline, to provide edgewise projections 40 and 74 which cooperate to form an L-shaped projection surrounding a corner and two sides of the tile, about midway through the thickness thereof. The other two sides are indented to form an L- shaped horizontal step 76. In the conventional assembly, projections 40 and 74 overlie corresponding portions of step 76 of adjacent tiles.

Above the plane of projections 40 and 74, the tile is further shaped to provide an L-shaped projection 78 extending around two sides of the tile and an 14.-shaped horizontal step 80 extending around the remaining two sides. In the assembled ceiling, projection 78 of each tile rests upon portions of step 80 of two neighboring tiles. Thus each tile partially overlies all four of the tiles abutting it, either by virtue of projections 40 and 74, or by virtue of projection 78.

The modified tile of this invention, as shown in solid outline in FIGURE 5, is similar to the conventional tile just described, and is compatible therewith in a ceiling construction. It differs from the conventional tile, however, in that all of L-shaped projection 78 is omitted, as is projetcion 74. In the modified tile according to the invention, therefore, the only edgewise projection extending beyond the margins of tile face 42 is projection 40. An aperture 34 is provided near the side of the tile opposite projection 40, to receive bolt 16 (not shown in FIGURE 5). When such a tile is assembled into a ceiling construction, it is supported at its rear edge (i.e., the edge farthest from aperture 34), by projection 40, which rests on step 76 of an adjoining tile, and at its front edge by screw 16 extending through aperture 34, and by cap-nut 36, as best shown in FIGURE 1. When it is desired to gain access to the space between the suspended ceiling and the overlying original ceiling, it is necessary only to unscrew cap-nut 36, allowing panel 32 to drop down into the room space, rotating about projection 40 which forms a hinge-like structure in cooperation with step 76 of an adjoining tile (not shown).

While this invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments and illustrated by way of certain drawings, these are illustrative only, as many alternatives and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of proper scope of the invention. The invention is therefore not to be construed as limited, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure assembly for a removable ceiling tile comprising in combination a bracket, a bolt and a nut, said bracket comprising a bolt-holding tongue and a channel member integrally connected to said tongue, said channel member having a Web and an opening defined at one face of said web, said bolt-holding tongue extending from one edge of said channel member and outwardly from the opposite face of said web, said bolt holding tongue being perforated to provide an aperture, said channel member being generally rectangular in crosssection, said bolt being slidably receivable in said aperture and said nut being threaded to mate with the threads of said threaded bolt.

2. A closure assembly for a removable ceiling tile comprising in combination a bracket, a bolt, a nut and an adapter of generally S-shaped configuration, said bracket comprising a bolt-holding tongue and a channel member integrally connected to said tongue, said channel member having a web and an opening defined at one face of said web, said bolt-holding tongue extending from one edge of said channel member and outwardly from the opposite face of said web, said bolt being slidably receivable in said aperture, said nut being threaded to mate with the threads of said threaded bolt, and said adapter providing two oppositely-directed constricted channels, one of said constricted channels receiving and frictionally retaining the opposite edge of said first-mentioned channel member, the other of said constricted channels being adapted to receive and frictionally engage an adjoining member of sheet metal or the like.

3. A closure assembly for an access opening in a tiled suspended ceiling or the like, comprising in combination a tile having a uni-planar bottom face corresponding in size and shape to said access opening, said tile having a forward edge, a rear edge and two side edges, said forward edge of said tile being indented along its entire extent to define a generally horizontal step overlying a portion of said bottom face, said rear edge having along its entire extent a generally horizontal projection extending beyond the rear marginal edge of said bottom face, said side edges being devoid of projections extending beyond said bottom face, said tile being perforated by an aperture adjacent said forward edge; a bolt extending through said aperture; a nut threaded on said bolt and supporting said tile from under said bottom face; a bracket having a bolt-holding tongue, said boltholding tongue being perforated by an aperture through which said bolt extends, and means for connecting said bolt-holding tongue to a fixed structural member, said means connecting said tongue to a structural member comprising a generally S-shaped adapter clip defining two oppositely-directed constricted channels, one of said constricted channels frictionally engaging a projecting member integrally connected to said bolt-holding tongue and the other of said constricted channels frictionally engaging a fixed structural member of sheet metal in the nature of a clip-strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,984,028 12/1934 MacLeod 52-496 2,304,480 12/1942 Schramm 52496 2,376,695 5/1945 Hill 52496 2,890,583 6/1959 Grosskortenhaus 52484 3,023,866 3/1962 Moore 52-484 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,123,292 9/ 1956 France. 1,362,525 France.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiners.

ROBERT A. STENZEL, Assistant Examiner. 

3. A CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR AN ACCESS OPENING IN A TILED SUSPENDED CEILING OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A TILE HAVING A UNI-PLANAR BOTTOM FACE CORRESPONDING IN SIZE AND SHAPE TO SAID ACCESS OPENING, SAID TILE HAVING A FORWARD EDGE, A REAR EDGE AND TWO SIDE EDGES, SAID FORWARD EDGE OF SAID TILE BEING INDENTED ALONG ITS ENTIRE EXTENT TO DEFINE A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL STEP OVERLYING A PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM FACE, SAID REAR EDGE HAVING ALONG ITS ENTIRE EXTENT A GENERLALY HORIZONTAL PROJECTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE REAR MARGINAL EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM FACE, SAID SIDE EDGES BEING DEVOID OF PROJECTIONS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID BUTTOM FACE, SAID TILE BEING PERFORATED BY AN APERTURE ADJACENT SAID FORWARD EDGE; A BOLT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE; A NUT THREADED ON SAID BOLT AND SUPPORTING SAID TILE FROM UNDER SAID BUTTOM FACE; A BRACKET HAVING A BOLT-HOLDING TONGUE, SAID BOLTHOLDING TONGUE BEING PERFORATED BY AN APERTURE THROUGH WHICH SAID BOLT EXTENDS, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID BOLT-HOLDING TONGUE TO A FIXED STRUCTURAL MEMBER, SAID MEANS CONNECTING SAID TONGUE TO A STRUCTURAL MEMBER COMPRISING A GENERALLY S-SHAPED ADAPTER CLIP DEFINING TWO OPPOSITELY-DIRECTED CONSTRICTED CHANNELS, ONE OF SAID CONSTRICTED CHANNELS FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING A PROJECTING MEMBER INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BOLT-HOLDING TONGUE AND THE OTHER OF SAID CONSTRICTED CHANNELS FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING A FIXED STRUCTURAL MEMBER OF SHEET METAL IN THE NATURE OF A CLIP-STRIP. 